Tom Brady vs. Mark Sanchez: By the numbers

Tom Brady, the NFL's No. 1 QB, and the New England Patriots take on the NY Jets, the No. 1 defense, with quarterback Mark Sanchez. Each team is battling to be the best in the AFC East. Who has the edge?

ByDavid Scott, StaffDecember 6, 2010

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (signals play during the Jets 28-14 win over the Patriots in September. Will Monday nights game be different?

Yet if you look at the Patriots' quarterback, statistically Tom Brady stands head and shoulders above Jets QB Mark Sanchez.

Brady currently has the highest passing rating (105.8 ) in the NFL. He hasn't thrown an interception since October. Sanchez (81.9 passing rating) shows up somewhere around No. 20 in NFL. Brady exceeds Sanchez on almost every other measure.

There's no question that in professional football today, it's all about The Arm. But, in Monday night's game, is Brady likely to be the winning difference for the Pats or will other factors be more important? And if you believe that the Patriots can beat the Jets, are they good enough to win the Super Bowl?

Yes, at this point, they've got one of the best win-loss records in the NFL. But New England also has one of the worst pass defenses in the league, and in the team's history.

Out of 32 teams, the Patriots now rank 25th in the Defensive Passer Rating. They're last in the league in stopping pass completions.

In comparing this team with all other Patriots passing defenses, "only one team in a half century of football was worse than the current club: the 1972 Patriots. And they went 3-11," notes coldhardfootballfacts.com.

In other words, Bill Belichick, the coach who built his reputation on being a "defensive genius" is now winning games almost completely based on offense.

But if you're Mark Sanchez, you don't have to be Tom Brady to beat the Patriots. You just have to be good enough to pick apart the Pats' secondary.

Meanwhile, Tom Brady is looking at one of the best defensive secondaries in the NFL – with Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie anchoring the Jets' corners. The Jets are the best in the NFL when it comes to limiting the yardage of their opponents. The last time they met, in September, the Jets beat the Patriots 28-14.

Are the Jets still the better team? What do you think will be the winning difference?